Thankful for a Classmate

Let's hope this goes quickly now.

I am thankful for all my classmates, but if I were to choose one from my American Literature class, I would say... MILES WEINSTEIN (I hope I spelled your name right)! For the people who wonder why it's Miles, it's because I've known him ever since Freshman Connection, he's a very nice person, and he helps me a lot.

Miles is a good friend of mine. During Freshman Connection, we sat in the same table so you could say that he was one of my first friends in Whitney Young. Also, I sit directly behind him in class. So, if there is anything I don't understand, I would ask him and he is always willing to help me. An example of this is that whenever I don't have any ideas about what to write for my journal, I would ask him and he would give me some inspiration.

I am thankful for a lot of people in Whitney Young. I am thankful for the teachers, students, and my friends. I am thankful for the help the teachers give me in my education, thankful for the students in class to make it more lively, and especially my friends, for making my life what it is. This Thanksgiving is almost over and I'll end this by saying I am thankful my good friend Miles and for you (whoever is reading) for reading my blog. Happy Thanksgiving.

I am a Plow

Guess who's a plow this time... I am. Well, I think everyone is in a way or two though. Anyways, I am a plow.

First of all, what is a plow? A plow would be something used in farms. They loosen up soil so that seeds are able to be sown into the soil. Therefore, you can say it has a pretty important role. I claim to be a plow because I help "loosen up soil" such as making life easier for others. For example, I help others as much as I can in homework, allowing them to have an easier day of homework.

There are many plows out there. Some plows would be your mother and father. They probably take you to school, saving you some time if you were to take the train. Even if your parents don't drive you to school or take you to places you need to be, they are still a plow in many ways. They provide you with food and a home. Another plow would be a waiter or waitress. They serve you food instead of you going into the kitchen of a restaurant to get the food yourself. Another plow would be Mr. McCarthy! He teaches us so that we don't have to struggle through learning by ourselves. There are so many plows out there that have not been mentioned yet. In what ways are you a plow?

A Direction the Class Needs

To all the readers of this blog:

The first quarter of this school year has ended. All the grades have been recorded and now it is time for some feedback on my American Literature class.

Let's start with the negatives. I didn't know what was for homework some times. Also, we are a bit behind schedule but that isn't much of an issue. I wished we had gone through the vocabulary book more because my vocabulary is not very good and I want to learn more. Also, the blogs weren't completely clear. I didn't know what to write about sometimes. Maybe it was just me.

I would be helpful if homework was posted on Edline or if it were written on the board. By doing this, we can probably be back on schedule and stay on schedule. If descriptions about the blog were on Edline, it would be a lot easier to write the blogs... just saying.

Now, lets talk about some good things in this class. I learned a lot. We were very productive in class and we had fun at the same time. Blogs were very fun to do even though it was somewhat mislead at times. The books we read for this class were also interesting and fun. Mr. McCarthy is an awesome teacher. He is easy to get along with and he is willing to help his students.

Modern Day Slavery

Slavery. What do you think of when I say slavery? Some germane things I would think of is my World Studies class, slave trade, farming, and Africa. Back in the days when slavery first started, people would buy them left and right; hoping that the slaves they buy will work on their farms and be their servants. Slave owners by slaves because they are cheap labor and that would mean they would make more money. Slaves would often work for long hours and not be fed much. Slaves were usually crammed into small rooms with a few other slaves. Not all slaves were treated like this. Some had it better but generally, being a slave sucked.

If you think about it, even though slavery is abolished, there are still traces of slavery today. No matter how you shun this idea, it is true. Slaves are brought from all over the world, not only Africa. Today, there are still around twenty-seven million slaves after the abolition. There are slaves from China and India too. The people who own slaves today try not to call it slavery; they call it debt bondage, bonded labor, and a lot of other names besides slavery. Slaves today are forced to work on farms like before, but now they are also forced into prostitution and drug trafficking.

Guess what? Slavery exists in the United States too (United States: not as great as it seems >.>). Slaves work in sweat shops, factories, and farms. They are either paid very little that they can't even substantiate their needs or they aren't paid at all. They are treated like the slaves in the beginning if not worse. Probably worse now that there's technology used for torture or whatnot.

You wouldn't think slavery still existed today (well at least I didn't know until doing this blog). Here's a question. When you go out and buy anything, have you noticed that some merchandise are ridiculously cheap? Cheap as in inexpensive. Why do you think it so cheap? I wonder... o.o

Some History of Puritans, Salem, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and The House of the Seven Gables

Puritans were a group of Protestants in England that date back in the 16th century. During that time, England was ruled by Elizabeth I and she strongly supported the Church of England movement. Puritans had different views from Queen Elizabeth I and they wanted to reform the Church of England so that it became more Puritan.  However, this reformation didn't happened completely and the Puritans decided to take there religion to somewhere else, and that somewhere else is New England.

The idea of witchcraft in Salem was introduced in 1692. Betty Paris was found sick and the idea of witchcraft rose quickly. The first accusations were made by the Putnams. The Putnams took their complaint to Judge John Hathorne. Judge John Hathorne examined the "witches" and there formed a growing crowd of spectators.

Nathaniel Hawthorne changed his last name to distinguish himself from his relative: Judge John Hathorne. He probably changed his name because he didn't feel proud that his ancestor was a judge that condemned many people for witchcraft. At one point, his uncle bought the House of the Seven Gables and remodeled it. During Hawthorne's youth, he often went to the House and was told of its history by his cousin, Susannah Ingersoll.

The House of the Seven Gables is the oldest mansion In North American that is still in existence today. It was remodeled by its owners many times throughout its years. During a period of time, the House only had three gables remaining. In 1908, the House was again purchased, but this time by Caroline O. Emmerton who restored it to it's early days and changed it into a museum. To make the House more interesting, she changed it so that it matched Nathaniel Hawthorne's The House of the Seven Gables.

The Moment I knew I was an American

Let's start out by asking what an American is. A simple definition of an American from Dictionary.com an inhabitant of the United States of America. That sounds pretty accurate, but let's add to it. I would say an American is also someone who love's the land and its culture in addition to living in the United States.

I knew I was an American not when I was born, but when I learned about America. I knew I was an American when I knew that this was the United States of America and when I learned about it's history. When was this? Around the first of second grade maybe. I didn't feel I was an American though. Being raised up in a Chinese background by very Chinese parents, I thought of myself as Chinese more. However, that didn't make much sense to me since I wasn't living in China.

I didn't believe I was a true American until recently, after reading What Is an American in class. After reading it, I found that an American is made up of all cultures, all other cultures including the Chinese culture. After knowing this, saying I am an American made more sense to me. I am proud to say that I am American.

Us vs. Them, Everyone for Themself

In this world, anger is an issue that has to be dealt by with thought and time. Anger can blind a person so that he or she may not see the truth behind lies. Some people don't think before they act and if they do, their fists do the thinking. Before they even know it, arguments turn into funerals.

How open someone is to ideas and judgment also plays a part in why people murder. One may not like a idea proposed by another. For example, Martin Luther King Jr. was killed by James Earl Ray for giving speeches that were helping African Americans to get the same rights as anyone else.

Survival of the fittest drives people to unseen and absurd behaviors. Fear of death can cause someone to react differently from how they usually act. If a lifeboat can only take ten people out of a drowning ship, everyone would fight for a spot on the lifeboat so that they can see their love ones.

Death will come for everyone eventually. Being scared of death is a silly thing to do. Who has a longer life? Someone lives to 50 and has lived without regrets or one that lives to 100 being scared to do anything at all? Death just means you will be taken from this world, but are you really dead when you die? You live on after dying as long as someone still remembers you. Death can come to someone at any moment and without anyone knowing. The important thing is what you leave behind. When you die, what legacy do you leave behind? Who will remember you?